A Puzzling Mystery Weekend
by jolly roger brat
Summary: Someone from Sofia, James, and Amber's past is up to their old tricks again. Will he get what he wants, or will they stop him again?
1. Chapter 1

In Enchancia Castle, Sofia, Lucinda, and Amber were getting ready for their latest adventure with the Buttercups. The three of them were excited, for this was a special weekend where friends and even family who weren't in the troop could accompany them.

Sofia was especially happy that Lucinda would be with them for this. She had been sick during the school blood drive, and their adventure in Orillia Castle a few weeks ago, so she was happy she and her sisters were doing something together again. Lucinda was also surprised to learn that Amber, and one of their friends, Princess Sandra of Orillia, had been given amulets like the ones she and Sofia wore.

"I've got a great idea about who should go with us," Lucinda interrupted her thoughts.

"I've got the same idea," Amber nodded, remembering something she and James had once discussed.

The three girls made their way to James' room. On the way, they met two of the castle maids, Dorrie and Candice Cooper, daughters of the head maid, Violet. Candice was the most recent person from the castle to join the Buttercups, and she was excited about her first scouting event. Dorrie and Amber were both excited about this weekend; they only needed a few more badges until they each received a sunflower pin like the one Sofia had.

The five paused outside James' door, which was open, but they saw him working on a huge stack of papers, and he was singing a song they all liked.

 _I remember when rock was young  
Me and Suzie had so much fun  
Holding hands and skimming stones  
Had an old gold Chevy and a place of my own  
But the biggest kick I ever got  
Was doing a thing called the Crocodile Rock  
While the other kids were Rocking Round the Clock  
We were hopping and bopping to the Crocodile Rock_

"We warned him about doing this," Amber sighed.

 _Well Crocodile Rocking is something shocking  
When your feet just can't keep still  
I never knew me a better time and I guess I never will  
Oh Lawdy mama those Friday nights  
When Suzie wore her dresses tight  
And the Crocodile Rocking was out of sight_

 _La lalalala la lalalala la lalalala la_

Dorrie nodded. She knew that James used to work nonstop around the castle, but she still sometimes saw him helping with paperwork, and not taking any breaks.

 _But the years went by and the rock just died  
Suzie went and left us for some foreign guy  
Long nights crying by the record machine  
Dreaming of my Chevy and my old blue jeans  
But they'll never kill the thrills we've got  
Burning up to the Crocodile Rock  
Learning fast as the weeks went past  
We really thought the Crocodile Rock would last_

"Shall we, ladies?" Amber asked, a little smile on her lips.

"Yes we shall!" Lucinda smiled back as they sneaked into James' room.

 _Well Crocodile Rocking is something shocking  
When your feet just can't keep still  
I never knew me a better time and I guess I never will  
Oh Lawdy mama those Friday nights  
When Suzie wore her dresses tight  
And the Crocodile Rocking was out of sight_

"I'll do it," Candice whispered, raising her wand. When the girls nodded, Candice aimed her wand at James, who was unaware of anything but writing and the music, and whispered, _"Rictusempra!"_

 _La lalalala la lalalala la lalalala la_

As Candice's spell took effect and James started laughing when he felt something hit him in the side, the girls pinned him down and tickled him as he tried to keep singing. At the same time, Dorrie levitated the papers to the desk, and organized the edited and original drafts.

 _I remember when rock was young  
Me and Suzie had so much fun  
Holding hands and skimming stones  
Had an old gold Chevy and a place of my own  
But the biggest kick I ever got  
Was doing a thing called the Crocodile Rock  
While the other kids were Rocking Round the Clock  
We were hopping and bopping to the Crocodile Rock_

"Five against one!" James laughed under their fingers.

"Four hours with no break and working through lunch again means we get to do this," Amber countered as she and Candice attacked his ribs.

 _Well Crocodile Rocking is something shocking  
When your feet just can't keep still  
I never knew me a better time and I guess I never will  
Oh Lawdy mama those Friday nights  
When Suzie wore her dresses tight  
And the Crocodile Rocking was out of sight_

 _La lalalala la lalalala la lalalala la  
La lalalala la lalalala la lalalala la  
La lalalala la lalalala la lalalala la_

Hearing the noise, Roland and Miranda entered. They smiled at the scene, and were tempted to join in the girls' game, but James fell off the bed as Candice saw them and lifted the spell.

"Are you all right?" Roland asked as he and Miranda helped him up.

"I'm fine," James gasped for breath. "I'm just trying to help you with all this paperwork, and the girls started attacking me! And Dad, I had my door open!"

Roland mussed his hair. "I know, but I heard something about four hours with no break and working through lunch again."

"Time flies when you're having fun?" James asked innocently. He picked up a small book. "And for all you know, I could have been taking a break to do a word game or crossword puzzle!"

"Maybe so, but four hours still means four hours, and I have an idea for a punishment," Roland smirked. He noticed the girls in their Buttercup outfits, then turned back to James. "You're going to go with the girls this weekend."

Miranda nodded in agreement. "I heard that it's the Buttercups' Friends Weekend trip in the Peppertree Forest," James started to protest, but she continued. "You need to get out more. Besides, you know grounding you and sentencing you to work around the castle doesn't work, since you spend your extra time in your room and you're always helping the staff!" She looked at the book as well. "I'm also familiar with your talent for word games! They might do something like that."

"Well, I did help win a few vocabulary games at Royal Prep," James smiled at Sofia, who had been on his team at school.

"And this is what we get for having Mother read you the dictionary or thesaurus before bed!" Amber repeated an old joke of their father's. She then turned serious, remembering how James had often felt left out whenever she and Sofia had gone on adventures without him. "But come on, James, it'll be fun! And I promised not to make you feel left out."

"And besides, everyone gets to earn badges, not just Buttercups," Dorrie added.

"But I'm a junior Groundhog Aide," James protested, recalling how happy Baileywick had been with his offer to help the Groundhogs.

"Some badges you earn might transfer over to the Groundhogs," Lucinda reasoned.

"But—" James started to protest, however, Candice cut him off.

"No buts! We're all going, and you're going to go with us as a friend, so let's go, _friend!"_

"Well, with wordplay like that, Candice, how can I refuse?" James joked.

As the girls helped him up, James gathered up his Junior Groundhog Aide vest, and a few other supplies he thought he might need, as well as a few crossword puzzle books. Then when everyone was ready, they set out on a new adventure.

 **Author's Notes**

 **Dorrie and Candice are characters of Niagara14301, and are used with their permission.**

 **Elton John's Crocodile Rock is not mine, and was also used in Niagara14301's Red Nose Day story.**

 **Amber not wanting James to feel left out is from AquaTurquoise's story Amber's Gift Giving Extravaganza.**

 **Rictusempra is from Harry Potter**

 **Sofia's memories about the blood drive and adventure in Orillia Castle are from my story Royal Blood.**


	2. Chapter 2

Far away from the fun being had in the castle, in the desert kingdom of Tengu, a boy wizard named Wendell was opening his birthday presents. "Flying horse. Flying horse. Flying horse!" he murmured as he opened them. However, all he got was a wand and a package that looked like something he had at one other time. He sighed as he opened…a lute. "This isn't a flying horse!" he moaned. "A little pin?" he asked in disbelief as he opened a smaller package.

"This pin lets the animals you come in contact with speak so you can understand them," his mother explained.

"Okay…that actually sounds interesting," Wendell admitted, but he incredulously held the lute up. "But I had a lute before! I want a flying horse!"

"Wendell Herman Fidget III! You get what you get and you don't get upset!" his mother scolded. She saw the dirty look he gave her, and said, "And this time I'll be keeping a sharp eye on you!"

"Of course, Mother," Wendell sighed. However, he smiled to himself as he fingered his new wand. _'This might actually come in handy,'_ he thought.

When the party was over, Wendell helped his mother clean up. "Now, Wendell, it's time for your chores. And let's hope this gets this flying horse nonsense out of your head once and for all!" she said as she left the room.

"Yes, Mother, and thank you for the wonderful presents," Wendell smiled innocently. However, as he followed her and watched her enter her bedroom, he aimed his wand at her back. _"Somnibus populae caella!"_ he whispered. He smiled as he saw her fall asleep. "Now my birthday fun begins again!" He took up his lute, and like he had one other time, he strummed it as he went to find his flying carpet.

At the same time, in the kingdom of Orillia, Princess Sandra was motioning for her younger sister Zoe to follow her. Zoe was proudly wearing a Buttercup Scout uniform, while over her riding outfit, which consisted of a white shirt, black pants, and boots, Sandra was wearing a Buttercup Scout Aide vest, along with her new Lily Scout beret. She also had a Lily Scout vest, which was in her backpack. Some of her friends had invited her to join the local troop, and she had accepted.

"Ready to go, Zoe?" Sandra asked, leading her over to the stables. She hid a smirk as she watched their older brother Ezekiel working there, with his loyal dachshund Spike with him, but she greeted the stable boy, and the coachman, who came up to her. She nodded in greeting to King Robert and Queen Patricia as they came up to them.

"Have a good time, you two," Robert said as the stable boy brought out a tan and white winged horse.

"And thank you for doing this for me, Sandra. I know you were planning on going to the scouting event alone, but Zoe wanted to go too," Patricia said as Sandra helped Zoe onto the horse's back. "I would have taken her, but I don't feel well."

"It's no problem, Mom. Zoe loves doing things with the Buttercups, now I get to do some Lily Scout things too," Sandra said as she mounted behind her. "You go rest. I'll take care of her. And the soup I made this morning is ready if you get hungry."

"That's our little chef," Robert smiled; he knew Sandra loved cooking and had been given a list of one of her friend's favorite recipes.

"Yes, but are you sure you don't want to take the coach?" Patricia asked as Sandra helped Zoe get settled.

"It's fine, Mom," Sandra replied as she settled herself in the saddle, "I've taken Zoe riding on Phoenix lots of times."

"But why the knife?" Patricia asked, seeing the dagger at her belt.

"For cooking prep and/or defending myself. You know what Sir Avery always tells me," Sandra replied.

"All right; just be careful," Patricia nodded. She knew that Sandra was a female squire for one of the knights, and they always told her to be prepared for anything. She looked at the hilt at her own side; she never used the small dagger Robert gave her except to defend herself (she still remembered the time at a festival before the kids were born that an enemy had taken her hostage, and it was only due to the dagger that she'd been able to save herself). "I know I've said the same thing to the Buttercups." Patricia was also the Buttercup troop leader of Orillia, and Sandra had volunteered to be her helper.

When the girls were out of sight, Sandra looked down at Zoe. "Okay, now that Mom and Dad can't see us, I've got a surprise for you," When Zoe looked up, Sandra said, "Put your hands on my hands." When Zoe complied, Sandra had Phoenix glide through the sky. "Now this is how you steer…"

"You're letting me fly Phoenix?" Zoe gasped.

"Not quite. I'm just teaching you how to fly," Sandra explained.

"Did Zeke do this with you?" Zoe asked.

"No, even though I was your age when I became interested in riding flying horses. Zeke didn't help me, but Michael did," Sandra replied, referring to one of the coachmen, who was also the royal horse trainer.

Meanwhile, Wendell had flown on his magic carpet to the Peppertree Forest and he kept out of sight as he watched as the girls fly overhead. "That horse will do nicely," he smiled as he took out his lute.

"Good girl, Phoenix. Nice and slow," Sandra murmured as she helped Zoe steer. "And don't worry, Zoe. If we miss anything, we'll ask the troop leaders or one of the other Buttercups about what you need to do, and I'll do the same with the Lilies."

"Okay," Zoe nodded.

"Don't worry, Zoe, you'll do fine. And you're doing a great job flying," Phoenix added; both girls had amulets and pendants that let them talk to and understand animals. "Just hold tight to-" Phoenix was cut off as she heard something. A strange sensation came over her.

"Phoenix? Is everything okay?" Sandra asked.

"Phoenix?" Zoe asked.

Phoenix didn't reply, but she started bucking in the air as Zoe and Sandra held on for dear life.

At the same time, several people, along with the Buttercups, had gathered in the Peppertree Forest. Mrs. Hanshaw, the troop leader, smiled as she welcomed everyone and talked about the activities they'd be doing. She noticed that some of the older princes and princesses, like James, were wearing different scout outfits, vests, or sashes, and told them that she'd give them the equivalent of the badges in their respective troops.

Suddenly, they heard a snatch of strange music. As everyone looked around, wondering where it was coming from, Sofia, James, and Amber looked at each other. They'd experienced this one other time, and they thought that they'd seen the last of this person.

"You don't think it's-" Sofia started.

"Oh yes I do," Amber nodded. "He's back. And he must have gotten a new lute!"

"Look!" James cut them off. He saw a flying horse overhead, with two people on its back. The horse bucked wildly, and the riders were thrown off.

Dorrie and Candice immediately jumped into action. "Accio Brooms!" they yelled, pointing their wands at the sky. The minute they had their brooms, they rocketed into the air.

As they neared the people, they saw one of them take a wand out, and heard a yell of _"Arresto momentum!"_

When they got close, Dorrie and Candice grabbed Zoe and Sandra, helped them onto the brooms, and flew them down to the group.

"Are you okay, Buttercup? And how about you, Lily Girl?" Mrs. Hanshaw asked as Zoe and Sandra got off the brooms.

"I don't know what happened," Sandra panted as she and Zoe each accepted a Calming Draught from Candice. "One minute Zoe and I are flying here, then my horse hears something, throws us off her back, and flies way."

"Have you ridden her before? I mean, is she a new horse?" Mrs. Hanshaw asked.

"I've had Phoenix for a few years. She's never acted like that before," Sandra replied. "I've even let Zoe ride her, but I've always been there, and they like each other."

"By any chance, your horse didn't start chanting 'Wendell is wonderful', did she?" Sofia asked softly.

"I heard Phoenix say something like that just as we were thrown off," Zoe whispered, but she didn't know why they had to keep their voices down. (She didn't know that not everyone in the group could talk to animals.)

"That's right," Sandra murmured. "I was just about to ask her who that was, but she threw us off and flew away."

Far away from the group, Wendell smiled as he hovered on his carpet in front of Phoenix. "Hello," he smirked.

Phoenix bowed her head. "Wendell is wonderful…" she murmured.

Wendell grinned as he mounted her. "I certainly am!"

 **Author's notes**

 **Surprise! Wendell, the bratty little wizard from Minimus is Missing, is back! The pin he got for his birthday is not like the amulets and badges Sofia and her friends have. This was enchanted by his mother to only let him talk to animals, so if he made any mistakes in taking care of them, they'd let him know so he could make it right. (And thanks to those who suggested Wendell be the bad guy in this story!) I also don't know where Wendell's originally from, but he was seen in Tengu during the episode.**

 **Arresto Momentum and Accio are spells from Harry Potter, while a Calming Potion was first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.**

 **Robert, Patricia, Ezekiel, Sandra, Zoe, Spike, Sandra's horse Phoenix, and the royal horse trainer Michael are all my original characters.**

 **Somnibus populae caella is the sleeping spell used in Once Upon a Princess.**

 **Lily Scouts, a scouting group for older girls, is from chapter 10 of Niagara14301's story Dorrie.**

 **Sandra teaching Zoe to fly is based on how James taught Sofia to fly in Just One of the Princes.**

 **If anyone's interested in the soup recipe, PM me and I'll send it to you.**

 **And I apologize about the cliffhanger!**


	3. Chapter 3

When Zoe and Sandra were feeling better, Sofia suggested that the older scouts and visitors stay and take on Wendell while the younger ones stayed someplace safe. "I guess we can have the younger scouts go our castle so the rest of us can find Phoenix," she suggested.

"They're more than welcome, and there's lots of room," Dorrie agreed.

"And maybe we'll have the scout event next weekend," Mrs. Hanshaw suggested.

"I'm sorry about this, everyone," Sandra apologized.

"This isn't your fault, Lily Girl," Mrs. Hanshaw assured her. "You didn't know your horse would do this."

Suddenly, everyone heard a voice above them. "Thank you for the flying horse!" When they looked around, they saw a wizard riding a tan-and-white winged horse.

"Phoenix!" Sandra shouted.

"So that's her name. A lovely name for a lovely horse," the wizard smirked. "And mine is Wendell." He glared at Sofia, James, and Amber. "You again! I told you I'd get a flying horse! And this time you can't stop me!"

"You give my sister Phoenix back!" Zoe shouted at Wendell.

"It's my horse now," Wendell sneered. He aimed his wand at her, but Sandra blocked his spell with a well-aimed Shield Charm.

"Zoe, except for when you learned basic magic from the fairies and Aleena, when's the last time you took on a wizard?" Sandra asked, referring to their castle's royal sorceress. She turned to Wendell with her dagger drawn. "But on a more serious note, threaten my sister again, and you're dealing with me!"

"You think you can stop me? I'd like to see that!" Wendell sneered, and he started to sing as he and Sandra started a wand battle.

 _Hey, hey, today is my birthday  
But I'm going out of my head  
Cause all I wanted was one flying horsey  
But I got a wand and lute instead  
So I went and cast a little spell  
Got the cutest flying horse in the land_

 _And let me tell ya, I'm just getting started_  
 _There's so much more I'm gonna demand_

 _You're gonna do it Wendell's way_  
 _I call the shots and everyone better obey_  
 _What I want is what I will get_  
 _That's a promise and also a threat_

 _Whoa!_  
 _Yeah!_

 _Your pretty horsy is my little pet now_  
 _So you better stay out of my way_  
 _Cause all I gotta do is strum my little lute_  
 _And she'll do whatever I say_

 _Jump!_  
 _Spin!_  
 _Now do-si-do!_  
 _Oh yeah!_

 _Cause that's Wendell's way_  
 _You're gonna do it my way_  
 _Or you're gonna pay_  
 _That's Wendell's way_

"You can sing all you want, but you're going to give me my horse back!" Sandra shouted.

"We'll see about that," Wendell smirked. "But I'll give you a chance to try and win her from me. All of you are going to stay here and participate in a series of word games and challenges. If you succeed in all of them, I give her back, but if you fail, she's mine!"

James and Sandra grinned. Word games and puzzles were their favorite challenges, and they knew they were good.

When Wendell told them that their first challenge was in an hour and flew away, Sandra grinned. "This is just like what the knights, squires, and I went through when Orillia was being attacked by that ogre," she recalled, and started telling everyone her story.

 _Flashback_

 _Sandra wanted to help everyone beat the ogre who was threatening Orillia. Since she dropped the Enchanted Gardening class at Royal Prep due to her sensitivity to flowers, she had filled the extra time she had by practicing swordplay in secret alongside the knights, before Sir Gilliam invited her to join the school fencing club._

 _"She's good," Sir Nathaniel had said as he watched her copy his movements._

 _"But she's a princess," Sir Peter, Orillia's most decorated senior knight, objected. "She might get hurt."_

 _"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Sir Avery, the newest knight, replied, watching Sandra parry an imaginary enemy's blow._

 _However, she tripped when she heard a shout, and some of the knights ran over to assist her. "I'm okay!" she said as Sir Peter helped her up._

 _"Princess, you'll get hurt. Please, let us handle what's going on," he said to her._

 _But before he could send her back to the castle, the ogre who had been threatening Orillia for the past few weeks appeared. "Answer this riddle or solve my word games!"_

 _"What is the riddle?" Sir Steven, the kingdom's second-most decorated senior knight, asked._

 _The ogre sneered at the group. "What…is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?"_

 _"An African or European swallow?" Sandra piped up._

 _The ogre paused and consulted the book he carried with him. "I…don't know…" As the knights and squires applauded her quick thinking, the ogre admitted, "You stumped me good, young lady."_

 _He then watched as all the knights and squires tried and failed to beat the other puzzles or solve the other riddles he posed. "Is there nobody else who can beat me?" he asked._

 _"You want someone to play a word game?" Sandra challenged, holding up the sword she'd been practicing with, and aimed it at him. "I'm your girl!"_

 _The ogre roared with laughter. "You again? Well then, young miss, come up and face my challenge, and we'll see if your mind is as sharp as your tongue!"_

 _"As the knights have been known to say, bring it on!" Sandra adopted what the knights considered an acceptable fighting position._

 _"Very well, little lady, this scrambled word game is just for you," the ogre said, laying out several tiles. "Find the word that fits all the letters. You can make as many small words as you like, but I'm looking for a seven letter word."_

 _"All right, ogre, let's do this!" Sandra said just as he finished talking. "If I win, you leave Orillia and never come back. If you win, we all fight you."_

 _"It's a deal," the ogre agreed._

 _"Don't be stupid!" Sandra's brother Ezekiel shouted._

 _"Zeke, I don't know if you're trying to protect me, or be your usual obnoxious self, but I can handle this," Sandra assured him, "and besides, we all know writing and word play aren't your strong points…" she smirked as she remembered how he had failed to succeed at the word challenge the ogre set him, "and who was it again who wrote that scenario for your Strategic Planning class a few weeks ago, and got you an A? Oh, that's right, me!"_

 _"Enough of this! Face me!" the ogre roared._

 _Sandra calmly picked up the pen and paper held out to her, and started singing a song she'd heard some of her friends from Royal Prep sing as she jotted down several words to solve the jumble set before her._

 ** _You know I got it, I g-got it  
You know I got it, I'm your girl_**

 ** _Every time you miss the beat and life pulls you under  
When you need your rhythm back, well, I'll be your drummer  
No matter where you're coming from, let's see your true colors  
Oh, ooh-ooh, oh, oh, ooh-ooh_**

 ** _If you come undone, I'll be the one  
To make the beat go on and on and on_**

 ** _I'll be your A to the Z  
Even if trouble's coming  
You know I got it, I g-got it  
You know I got it, I'm your girl  
I'll be wherever you need  
Call me and I'll come running  
You know I got it, I g-got it  
You know I got it, I'm your girl_**

 ** _You know I got it, I'm your girl_**

 ** _I'm a little bit sunshine, I'm a little bit starlight  
Sometimes when my halo slips, I dance on the wild side  
No matter where you're coming from, I know what it feels like  
Oh, ooh-ooh, oh, oh ooh-ooh_**

 ** _If you come undone, I'll be the one  
To make the beat go on and on and on_**

 ** _I'll be your A to the Z  
Even if trouble's coming  
You know I got it, I g-got it  
You know I got it, I'm your girl  
I'll be wherever you need  
Call me and I'll come running  
You know I got it, I g-got it  
You know I got it, I'm your girl_**

 ** _And if the road gets rough  
Gonna be hanging tough  
Yeah, yeah  
Yeah  
If you get lost sometimes  
I'll be a neon sign  
Yeah, yeah  
'Cause I'm your girl  
You know I got it, I g-got it  
I'm, I'm, I'm your girl  
If you come undone, I'll be the one  
To make the beat go on and on and on  
Be the one to make the beat go on and on_**

 ** _I'll be your A to the Z  
Even if trouble's coming  
You know I got it, I g-got it  
You know I got it, I'm your girl  
I'll be wherever you need  
Call me and I'll come running  
You know I got it, I g-got it  
You know I got it, I'm your girl_**

 ** _I'll be your A to the Z  
Even if trouble's coming  
You know I got it, I g-got it  
You know I got it, I'm your girl  
I'll be wherever you need  
Call me and I'll come running  
You know I got it, I g-got it  
You know I got it, I'm your girl _**

_She calmly put the pen down as she asked, "Is 'Ballads' the word you want?"_

 _"Yes…" the ogre gasped, already humming the song under his breath._

 _"Well, that was one of the first words I found!" Sandra smirked. "I would have said something sooner, but I like to build up suspense."_

 _The ogre left in stunned disbelief, but also because he had Sandra's song in his head._

 _"Well done, Princess!" Sir Peter cheered, clapping her on the shoulder. "And for your skill and bravery, we, that is, the knights and I, will give you private fencing lessons, and even make you an honorary squire!"_

 _End flashback_

"…and a few weeks later when he saw how good I was with a sword, Sir Gilliam invited me to join the school fencing club. After that, when Zeke got his title suspended, Sir Steven came to me and asked if I'd like to fill in for him as his squiress, or female squire. But I told him that I'd be helping Sir Avery instead, since I got the same offer from him earlier that day, but I'd help him if Sir Avery got sick or if he didn't need me for anything." Sandra concluded her story.

"Well, if word play can save you once, it can save you again!" Candice agreed.

"She's right. Put your talent with words toward helping Phoenix," Dorrie added.

"I'll do that," Sandra promised.

"All right, everyone, let's get to the castle!" Mrs. Hanshaw motioned for everyone to follow her.

 **Author's Notes**

 **Thanks to Niagara14301 for helping with some of the details in this chapter.**

 **Sandra's memory of the fight with the ogre is loosely based on chapter 39 of Do You Want to Sing Together 5 (A Different Orillia Fight Song).**

 ** _I'm Your Girl_** **, the song Sandra sings as she takes the ogre's word challenge, is from Descendants: Wicked World**

 **Aleena, the royal sorceress of Orillia, is my own character.**

 **Wendell sings a variation of Wendell's Way, the song he did in Minimus is Missing.**

 **The riddle the ogre posed before the word game challenge is from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.**


	4. Chapter 4

Everyone retreated to Enchancia Castle when they were together again. After explaining the situation to Roland and Miranda, who graciously gave James time off for good behavior from his "punishment", they got some boards set up to practice different word games, and everyone split up into different teams.

Roland came in to check on James and his group, and heard his son explain the rules of "Ghost". James looked up and saw him, and said, "Hey, Dad, you used to be good at this game, right?"

Roland smiled. "I used to play this with your Aunt Tilly when I was your age," he recalled. "We were both good, but I did beat her a few times."

"Okay," James nodded, "Do you think you could do a practice round with me, just to teach everyone how the game works?"

"All right," Roland agreed. "Baileywick," he added, seeing the castle steward, "Would you be the judge of a quick game of Ghost for us?"

"All right, as long as it's quick," Baileywick agreed, recalling that he used to play that game with his brother when they were younger.

"Okay, and Dad, you can start," James offered.

"All right," Roland took up a pen. "We'll start with 'R.'"

James nodded. "Okay…'E.'"

"'G!'" Roland took his next turn.

"'A!'" James countered.

"'L!'" Roland countered.

James grinned. "Gotcha!"

Roland looked confused. "Already? I was going to spell 'regalia'. R-E-G-A-L-I-A. 'I' comes next, and that's a word. It means 'insignia', 'symbol of office', or ceremonial object."

James smirked. "Regalia may be a word, Dad, but you should know that in Ghost, the first one to spell the word loses. And regal's a word too. It's another word for royal."

Baileywick nodded. "He's right, your Majesty."

"Well, it looks like the student has become the teacher," Roland admitted defeat, "Well done, James!"

"And that's how Ghost works. Also, thanks to the vocabulary games from school, all of you also know how to play 'Hangman' where you guess the word before the person dies," James went on.

Suddenly, they heard a different voice behind them. "Well, it finally looks like someone beat you at your own game, baby brother…I mean, _king_ baby brother!"

Everyone turned and saw Roland's sister in the room. "Miranda told me about that wizard of yours. Any ideas on how to beat him and get that horse back?" Tilly asked as Sofia introduced her to their friends.

"All we know is that we need to beat him at word games, but he never said how many," Sofia replied.

"Well, you've got a few word masters right here," Tilly smiled as she watched James and Sandra compete against each other in a twisting word game, where they made words with the letters Dorrie, Candice, and Lucinda provided, and often called for them to twist the letters around to find more combinations of words.

"Yes, James and Sandra are incredible! I can't figure out some of the words myself, but they have an entire row done in a few seconds!" Lucinda said as James scribbled down a few more words.

"I'm surprised their pencils aren't smoking yet; they're going so fast!" Dorrie added.

"That can be arranged," Candice joked. She raised her wand to playfully set the pencils on fire, but caught her sister's mock glare and lowered it again.

Tilly smiled as she watched James and Sandra in action, and thought back to when she and Roland played different word games.

 _Tilly's flashback_

 _"Let's see you figure out this puzzle, Rollie!" thirteen-year-old Tilly challenged, setting up another puzzle._

 _"You're on!" eleven-year-old Roland agreed as Goodwin the Great, who was also acting as the judge, supplied several letters._

 _As was tradition for their game, the winner of the last game, in this case, Tilly, chose how long the word would be, and Roland would pick the song they competed to. This time, he picked one of Tilly's favorite songs._

 _As he started making words, Roland started singing, **Written in these walls are the stories that I can't explain  
I leave my heart open but it stays right here empty for days  
She told me in the morning she don't feel the same about us in her bones  
Seems to me that when I die these words will be written on my stone**_

 ** _And I'll be gone, gone tonight  
The ground beneath my feet is open wide  
The way that I been holding on too tight  
With nothing in between_**

 _"Whiz-bang! Great choice for the song, Rollie!" Tilly cheered as she joined him on the chorus._ **_The story of my life  
I take her home  
I drive all night  
To keep her warm  
And time is frozen (the story of, the story of)  
The story of my life_**  
 ** _I give her hope  
I spend her love  
Until she's broke  
Inside  
The story of my life (the story of, the story of)_**

 _Tilly took the next verse, **Written on these walls are the colors that I can't change  
Leave my heart open but it stays right here in its cage  
I know that in the morning now I see us in the light upon a hill  
Although I am broken, my heart is untamed, still**_

 ** _And I'll be gone, gone tonight_**  
 ** _The fire beneath my feet is burning bright_**  
 ** _The way that I been holding on so tight_**  
 ** _With nothing in between_**

 _They sang the chorus together, **The story of my life  
I take her home  
I drive all night  
To keep her warm  
And time is frozen (the story of, the story of)  
The story of my life  
I give her hope  
I spend her love  
Until she's broke  
Inside  
The story of my life (the story of, the story of)**_

 _Roland took the bridge,_ **_And I been waiting for this time to come around  
But baby running after you is like chasing the clouds_**

 _They finished the song together as they kept writing the different words down,_ **_The story of my life  
I take her home  
I drive all night  
To keep her warm  
And time is frozen  
The story of my life  
I give her hope (give her hope)  
I spend her love  
Until she's broke (until she's broke inside)  
Inside  
The story of my life (the story of, the story of)_**

 ** _The story of my life_**  
 ** _The story of my life (the story of, the story of)_**  
 ** _The story of my life_**

 _Roland and Tilly worked hard to solve the puzzle, but in the end, Roland won._

 _"Great job, baby brother!" Tilly cheered._

 _End Tilly's flashback_

"Aunt Tilly?" Sofia asked, hearing her humming the song to herself.

"Oh, sorry, dear, I was just lost in thought for a minute. And it's almost time to meet your wizard. But I have faith in all of you," Tilly smiled at the group.

When it came time for the first challenge, Dorrie, Candice, and Lucinda used their magic to transport themselves, Sofia, James, Amber, and the older members of the group back to the Peppertree Forest.

 **Author's Notes**

 **Thanks to Niagara14301 for helping with some of the details for this chapter.**

 **The Ghost game is from the old Ghostwriter episode "Who Is Max Mouse"**

 **Story of My Life by One Direction is not mine, and was suggested by Raven862 for Do You Want to Sing Together 6 (hope you enjoyed the preview of the song!)**

 **The twisting word game James and Sandra were playing was Text Twist.**


	5. Chapter 5

The group appeared in the forest again, and discovered a huge hedge maze. No sooner had they set foot inside, when they saw several squares in the grass.

"I'm guessing we can only step on one at a time," Lucinda said at last, after getting a good look at the path.

"Actually, you can step on one, two, or three spaces at a time," they heard Wendell say above them from where he was still sitting on Phoenix's back. "But you have to solve a scrambled word puzzle for each tile. One space means you solve a four letter puzzle, two means five, and three means six."

"That doesn't sound so hard," James shrugged.

"Oh, but you have to solve the puzzle to get a special message," Wendell continued. "They're in different rooms, but they're all numbered. And you can't open them until you have all five. But if you go for the spaces with the holes, you might fall into a trap I set."

"We accept," Sofia said at last, her friends nodding at her side.

"Two or three of you will enter the maze at a time," Wendell instructed. "But you all get the same message."

"We'll team up," Sofia said to James and Amber.

"We'll be a team," Candice nodded toward Dorrie and Lucinda.

"I guess I can handle puzzles by myself, but if I run into trouble, I'll send you a Patronus message," Sandra agreed.

"Very well," Wendell agreed, "But you're entering the maze last."

"Fair enough, but when we get through this maze, you are giving me Phoenix!" Sandra shouted.

After a long time, Sofia, James, and Amber reached the last part of the maze. However, Wendell was standing there with his lute, blocking their path. He levitated the envelopes out of Amber's hand, telling them that they'd get them back after they solved one last puzzle.

"We'll do the puzzle, James, you take Wendell," Sofia started.

"Are you sure, Sof?" James asked.

"Between the two of us, Amber and I can figure this out," Sofia assured him.

"If you say so," James started, bringing out his own lute, which he picked up before they came back. He knew it wasn't magical like Wendell's, but he thought it might help in some way. "Hey, Wendell! How about a lute battle?"

"You think you can beat me?" Wendell challenged, taking his own lute out.

"Sure! And I say, thank you, Mom's ear for music!" James said as he started playing a lively tune on his lute.

 _The Devil went down to Georgia  
He was lookin' for a soul to steal  
He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind  
And he was willin' to make a deal_

 _When he came across this young man  
Sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot  
And the Devil jumped up on a hickory stump  
And said, "Boy, let me tell you what"_

 _"I bet you didn't know it  
But I'm a fiddle player too  
And if you care to take a dare  
I'll make a bet with you"_

 _"Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy  
But give the Devil his due  
I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul  
'Cause I think I'm better than you"_

 _The boy said, "My name's Johnny  
And it might be a sin  
But I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret  
'Cause I'm the best there's ever been"_

 _Johnny rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard  
'Cause hell's broke loose in Georgia and the Devil deals the cards  
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold  
But if you lose the Devil gets your soul_

Over the lively song, Sofia and Amber talked their way through some different ideas. They also watched as Wendell started struggling to keep up with James as his fingers flew over his lute's strings.

 _The Devil opened up his case  
And he said, "I'll start this show"  
And fire flew from his fingertips  
As he rosined up his bow_

 _And he pulled the bow across the strings  
And it made an evil hiss  
And a band of demons joined in  
And it sounded something like this_

Wendell breathed a quick sigh of relief as he slowed down a little, but kept up with the fast tempo of the song.

 _When the Devil finished  
Johnny said, "Well you're pretty good old son  
But sit down in that chair right there  
Let me show you how it's done"_

 _Fire on the mountain, run boys, run  
The Devil's in the House of the Rising Sun  
Chicken in the bread pan pickin' at dough  
Granny does your dog bite? No child, no_

Between the two of them, Sofia and Amber were able to solve the last puzzle, and the envelopes floated into Sofia's hand.

 _The Devil bowed his head  
Because he knew that he'd been beat  
And he laid that golden fiddle  
On the ground at Johnny's feet_

 _Johnny said, "Devil, just come on back  
If you ever wanna try again  
I done told you once you son of a bitch  
I'm the best there's ever been"_

 _He played, 'Fire on the Mountain', run boys, run  
The Devil's in the House of the Rising Sun  
Chicken in the bread pan pickin' at dough  
Granny does your dog bite? No child, no_

"Great job, James!" Sofia cheered as Wendell dropped his lute in exhaustion and started shaking his hands to get the feeling back in them.

"Now let's solve these envelope puzzles," Amber agreed, spreading them on the ground so they could all see what they said.

Working together to unscramble the messages, the notes read, to the confused indignation of the three, "No flying horse for you!"

When they read that, and before they had time to glare at Wendell in disbelief, Sofia, James, and Amber disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Surprise!" Wendell taunted them as the smoke cleared.

"What is this?!" Amber cried out, seeing herself, James, and Sofia in a cage.

"Call it a trap for the three of you. You won't get out of this!" Wendell smirked. "Not unless you can solve this anagram lock!"

"Didn't you see me in the maze? Anagrams are easy for me," James scoffed.

"We'll see about that," Wendell replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find your friends. But by the time you're out of that cage, I'll be long gone!"

"How will we get out of here?" Amber asked.

"Isn't it obvious? Solve the puzzle," James replied, "but there are who knows how many combinations for the lock."

"But there are only five letters," Sofia counted the spaces in the lock, "and the numbers that go along with the locks are 1, 20, 9, 18, and another 1."

"Alphanumeric code. Child's play!" James' concern turned derisive as he started writing letters and numbers down.

"Alphanumeric code?" Sofia asked.

"One number for each letter of the alphabet," Amber clarified. "James and I learned this from Daddy when we were younger."

"Yeah! Hey, remember how one year on our birthday he had us go on that coded treasure hunt?" James asked.

"That's right," Amber smiled. "One of your presents was that plush monkey dressed like a pirate, and I got…" She trailed off as she looked at the letters. "May I do the honors?"

"Go ahead," James grinned; he and Amber knew she'd be able to solve this once they talked through it.

"You know what it is?" Sofia asked.

"Of course," Amber grinned as she put in the numbers. "In order, it's 20-9-1-18-1. One of the greatest words ever!"

Sofia consulted the paper James made with the code on it. "T-I-A-R-A…Of course!"

The cage disappeared, and Sofia, James, and Amber ran off again. They met up with Dorrie, Candice, and Lucinda a few minutes later.

"Are you okay?" Candice asked.

"We're fine. We just got out of an anagram trap Wendell set," James told them everything that had just happened.

"We had that problem too. Thanks to Candice, we were able to break the lock and escape," Dorrie smiled at her sister.

"Thank you, M-A-G-I-C! And it also helps to watch James do crossword puzzles and play word games with him," Candice smiled.

"Okay. Now where's Sandra?" Sofia asked, looking around.

"Here! And I brought help," Sandra said as she and Zoe came up. "I told her to stay at your castle, but she wanted to find Phoenix as much as we do, so she ended up following us."

"You know, I wondered what that was that grabbed me when I used that teleportation spell as we left the castle," Dorrie remembered something taking hold of her skirt just as they left for the challenge.

"Are you mad, Sandra?" Zoe asked, recalling how surprised her sister had been to find her standing outside her cage.

"No, but as of this moment, you're going to have to stay close to us and listen to what we tell you," Sandra told her, then she turned to the others. "Between the two of us, we figured the lock out: A-M-B-R-E! And I say to that, thank you, kitty friend!"

"That's nice, but I think you spelled Amber's name wrong," Candice started.

"It's pronounced _hombre_ , but his name was Amber before the royal vet told me he was a boy," Sandra told her, Dorrie, and Lucinda the story of how her cat got his name.

"Sandra, I hate to interrupt you, but Wendell's gone! And he took Phoenix again!" Amber pointed up, and everyone saw that Wendell had disappeared.

"Okay, so what do we do now?" Lucinda asked.

"Split up and find him?" Sandra suggested.

"Okay, but we stay in the groups we were in for this challenge," Sofia spoke up.

"Good idea, Sof," James agreed.

"Yeah. If we can't find Wendell in two hours, we'll meet back here. Keep in contact with Patronus messages and stay together," Dorrie directed.

"Right!" everyone nodded.

As they split up to find Wendell, they all started mentally preparing themselves for their next encounter with him. One challenge like that had been hard enough, but what else would Wendell do if they found him again?

 **Author's Notes**

 **Thanks to Niagara14301 for helping with some of the details and ideas for this chapter.**

 **The maze challenge that everyone participated in was based on a game on the neopets site, The Castle of Eliv Thade.**

 **Sandra's backstory of Ambre's name is from chapter 5 of Royal Blood.**

 **The Devil Went Down to Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band is not mine.**

 **James having a (non-magical) lute of his own is from when he was named minstrel for Carol of the Arrow (see chapter 26 of Do You Want to Sing Together 3.)**

 **As I said in The Day the Music Died, James inherited his mother's ear for music. This means that he and Queen Melinda could hear a piece of music on one instrument, and play it on another one. Chapter 4 of that story is a good example, where James plays one instrument part on another.**


	6. Chapter 6

Sofia, James, and Amber had just started to search for Wendell when Sofia saw the familiar pink glow of her amulet, which meant a princess was on the way to help. She looked up and saw Queen Patricia appear. "Queen Patricia," Sofia curtsied. "I don't know where Sandra is, but her horse was captured by a wizard."

"I know," Patricia nodded as her daughters came up.

"Mom, I know how you came to be here, but before you say anything, I did try to protect Zoe when Phoenix threw us off her back. I also didn't know she followed us when we told her to stay at Sofia's castle," Sandra started, having taken a wrong turn, then became reunited with her friend.

Patricia smiled reassuringly. "It's all right, Sandra. I know all about what happened to Phoenix, and I'm not angry about any of this. Neither of you knew this would happen."

"Will we get Phoenix back?" Zoe asked.

"I'm certain you will," Patricia smiled.

"How did you know about Phoenix anyway?" Sandra asked.

"Mothers know everything," Patricia smirked, "and I also know you were teaching Zoe to fly without our knowledge."

"I love you?" Sandra smiled innocently.

Patricia smiled as she hugged her. "I love you too, and if you make a batch of those trail mix bars for the next Queens' Tea, we'll call it even. And you'll have to supply the recipe. Some of my friends raved about them, and wondered how you made them."

"Deal!" Sandra nodded.

"She got that recipe from me," Sofia added, "My mom made those all the time for my Buttercup troop when we lived in the village."

"They're delicious!" Patricia smiled, "And I can't punish her by sentencing her to her room or having her work with the staff; she spends her free time in her room if she's not helping around the castle or doing tasks for Sir Avery, and she makes delicious meals for us!"

"She and James are a lot alike," Sofia smiled.

"Except it's Zeke who likes monkeys, I'm not obsessed with cannons, and I can't tumble," Sandra joked.

"That's all right. Just do the best you can against this person, and everything will turn out all right," Patricia smiled. "I'll see you girls when you get back."

Amber smiled as Patricia disappeared. "James and I used to do that 'I love you' bit when we got in trouble with Daddy. We also had to help in the kitchen or around the castle," she then laughed. "Not that it did James any good, he helped everyone in the castle all the time!"

As they continued their search, James and Amber saw Dorrie, Candice, and Lucinda, told Sofia, Zoe, and Sandra they'd catch up with them later, and went to see how they were doing.

"As much fun as I'm finding these challenges, I can't wait to get back to those papers," James started.

"Don't say that, James," Lucinda urged. "We like seeing you outside your room. And you're singing in public again."

"Yes, and hopefully we won't have to force you into breaks," Candice agreed as she remembered something from her first day in the castle.

 _Candice's flashback_

 _Candice had just started her first day of working at the castle. However, any time she'd try to find something to do, she'd see that James had already taken care of it._

 _"James, we're the help around here!" Candice protested._

 _"Besides, you know you don't have to work so hard anymore," Dorrie agreed, coming up and finding some of her own work done. "We heard about how you felt about singing in public and how you used to run yourself ragged doing anything to keep your mind off music, and now that you're singing again, you don't have to distract yourself with other things."_

 _"I'm not avoiding music now; I like helping out," James tried to explain._

 _"We've seen you helping out with the royal documents. And I know I shouldn't say this, but you're a very talented writer who puts the staff to shame!" Dorrie grinned._

 _James returned her smile, but he said, "Thanks for the talk, you two, but I have to get back and do some more work on those papers."_

 _"Oh no, you don't! Dorrie, help me out," Candice drew her wand._

 _"Okay," Dorrie drew hers._

 _The two girls took James' arms with one hand, and used the other to wave their wands above their heads. The three vanished in a puff of smoke, and reappeared in a gazebo where Sofia, Lucinda, and Amber were having a tea party._

 _Amber smiled. "Oh, good; you brought him!"_

 _James looked surprised. "You did this on purpose?"_

 _"Just spend a few minutes with us! James, you don't have to work so hard anymore!" Sofia said as the girls forced James into a chair._

 _James managed a smile. "Okay, maybe I'll stay for a minute."_

 _"See, James? Isn't this nice, just being able to relax for a minute?" Amber asked as she poured him a cup of tea._

 _"I've got too much to do right now. If I'm not careful, I'll have to stay up all night finishing those papers. And you know how Dad is about that!" James tried to get up, only for the girls to push him down._

 _Candice smiled. "You know, James, you remind me of Dorrie and me! We always like to work too!"_

 _Dorrie nodded. "But at least we know when to take a break so we don't tire ourselves out."_

 _"I think you're like us," Candice added._

 _"How's that?" James asked, and to the delight of the girls, he started to sing a song that Dorrie had taught Candice on her first night in the castle._

 ** _James: You work real hard from day to day  
You do your best but that's your way  
I'm telling you, there's just no way that we're the same_**

 ** _Dorrie: You've got to look past what you see  
Try not to judge so easily  
Believe it or not, you're a lot like me_**

 ** _Candice: Say believe it or not, you're a lot like me!  
Sisi ni sawa means we're the same  
(Sisi ni sawa!)_**

 ** _James: I hear what you're saying, but you need to explain!  
(Sisi ni sawa!)_**

 ** _Dorrie: At the end of the day, it's like water and rain  
Sisi ni sawa, we are the same!_**

 ** _Candice: Maybe we laugh, maybe you smile  
But look inside once in a while  
Deep in our heart is what matters for sure  
(Sisi ni sawa!)_**

 ** _Dorrie: 'Cause we all know a higher call  
Like every creature big and small  
The Circle of Life should be what's guiding us all_**

 ** _Candice: The Circle of Life will guide us all!  
Sisi ni sawa means we're the same!  
(Sisi ni sawa!)_**

 ** _James: Though you've got your work, and I have a pen!_**

 ** _Dorrie: At the end of the day, it's like water and rain  
Sisi ni sawa, we are the same!_**

 ** _Amber, Sofia, and Lucinda join in: Sisi ni sawa, we are the same!_**

 ** _James: Never thought that we'd see eye-to-eye_**

 ** _Sofia: I can't imagine why  
It's very easy if you try!  
(Sisi ni sawa!)_**

 ** _Amber: Still, to me, they're brand new thoughts  
Not to judge anyone at all!_**

 ** _James: Sisi ni sawa!  
Sisi ni sawa means we're the same!_**

 ** _Lucinda: Forget about the past  
When there's nothing to gain  
(Sisi ni sawa!)_**

 ** _Amber/James/Sofia/Lucinda/Dorrie/Candice: At the end of the day, it's like water and rain  
Sisi ni sawa, we are the same!  
(Sisi ni sawa!)  
Sisi ni sawa means we're the same  
(Sisi ni sawa!)  
Forget about the past when there's nothing to gain  
(Sisi ni sawa!)  
At the end of the day, it's like water and rain  
Sisi ni sawa, we are the same!  
(Sisi ni sawa!)  
Sisi ni sawa, we are the same!_**

 ** _Dorrie/James/Candice: Sisi ni sawa, we are the same!_**

 _James grinned. "Thanks for the song, ladies, but I've got to…" he trailed off when Lucinda passed a plate of pastries to him. "Are those scones?" he asked._

 _"Made with golden raisins, just the way you like them," Amber smiled._

 _"So I have to face Dad's 'punishment' for working all night again," James gave in, thinking he'd play catch up with the papers after the tea party, "These make it all worth it!"_

 _"You're saying punishment like it's not a big deal," Candice observed._

 _"Watch Daddy tonight, and you'll see," Amber whispered._

 _End flashback_

As Candice thought about that, she laughed to herself as she remembered watching with Dorrie as Roland and Amber played 'Tickle Some Sense Into James' that night.

"Penny for your thoughts, sis?" Dorrie asked.

"I'll tell you later," Candice smiled.

At the same time, Sofia and Sandra helped Zoe get through the trees. "Sof, I'll take care of Zoe; you see if you can find the others," When Sofia was gone, Sandra looked around. She kept a firm grip on her wand, patted the dagger at her belt, and started to lead her sister forward.

"Sandra, what if he doesn't let Phoenix go?" Zoe asked.

"We'll make him let her go," Sandra assured her. However, she was worried. She'd never taken on a wizard, and the only experience she had with magic were her classes in Royal Prep, and the times she helped out the Royal Sorceress.

As they walked along, Sandra noticed that the crystal in her necklace was glowing. "That's right," she mused. "Sofia told me that my necklace summons princesses now! Or I should say, I got it upgraded to an amulet!"

"Wow!" Zoe gasped. "Who'd you get?"

Sandra was about to shrug, when she saw an arrow whiz by her. Instinctively, she pulled Zoe behind her and raised her dagger to defend her and her sister, but a voice called out to them.

"I didn't come all this way just to get a knife wielded in my face!" Sandra's jaw dropped. Zoe gasped in excitement.

"Sweet mother of monkey milk, it's Merida!" Sandra gasped, raising her dagger in a salute.

"At ease, Sandra," Merida smiled. "And as much as I admire your bravery and talent for alliteration, you and your sister have a little problem, don't you?"

"This boy Wendell stole Sandra's horse!" Zoe started.

"And he thinks this is a party game we're all going to play for him," Sandra added. "I don't have any problems with word games, but I do have a problem with him!"

Suddenly, Sofia and the others came up to them. "It's good to see you again, Merida," Sofia smiled.

"It's good to see you too, Sofia, and I'll help all of you any way I can," Merida greeted her. "I know about what happened to Sandra's Phoenix, and I feel the same way; if anything were to happen to my Angus, I'd be right after the scoundrel who took him!"

"But how do we find him? James, Amber, and I met his mother, and there's no way we can contact her," Sofia asked. "She's not a princess, so the amulet can't summon her."

"Maybe this can help," Merida pulled out a ring. "I got this from the same witch who gave me the cake that transformed my mother into a bear. But this time I was more specific in telling her what I wanted."

"How does it work?" Amber asked

"When you wear it, think of the person you want to summon, and they'll appear to you, just like how your amulets work when they summon a princess," she turned to James, "or how your badge summons a prince. But this ring doesn't just summon royalty; it summons other people as well."

"I guess we could try something like that," Sofia agreed.

"But we should distract Wendell with something if we see him again," Dorrie spoke up.

"Like another word game challenge?" Candice asked.

They suddenly heard a voice above them. "Back for more, I see, and you brought someone else to play my games!"

Merida aimed an arrow at Wendell, Dorrie, Candice, and Lucinda aimed their wands at him, and Sandra aimed her dagger at him.

"Wendell, enough is enough! Phoenix is Sandra's horse, and you're going to give her back!" Sofia shouted.

"What makes you think I'll give her back?" Wendell challenged.

"We know some ways," Lucinda said as she shot some sparks at him.

"Easy with the sparks, Lucinda! You might hit Phoenix!" Sandra warned.

"Sorry," Lucinda apologized.

"That's right, you can't hit her, or me," Wendell taunted. "So there's no way I'll give her back."

"I know one way you will," Sofia started.

"I have an idea too. James, will you help us out?" Candice asked.

"You bet I will!" James nodded.

As James and Candice talked amongst themselves, Sofia and the others faced Wendell again, and they hoped that whatever Candice's plan was would be successful.

 **Author's Notes**

 **Thanks to Niagara14301 for helping with the details on this chapter.**

 **"Sweet mother of monkey milk" is from Wreck-It Ralph.**

 **Alliteration is when the same consonant is used in a sentence.**

 **Merida is from Brave, and was summoned by Sofia's amulet in The Secret Library.**

 **Si Sini Sawa is from The Lion Guard, and can be found in chapter 34 of Do You Want to Sing Together 6, as well as chapter 48 of Variations on the Classics.**

 **Anyone who gets summoned by the amulet already has knowledge of the princess's situation (for background on this, see Niagara14301's story Being Summoned.)**

 **"Mothers know everything." This is Miranda's reply to Sofia asking her how she knows things.**

 **"Tickle Some Sense Into James" was the game Roland and Amber invented in chapter 2 of The Day the Music Died, and was used by them if James ignored pleas from everyone to take a break since he was working like crazy.**

 **Trail Mix Bars were mentioned in chapter 8 of Royal Blood.**

 **If anyone's interested in the scone or Trail Mix Bar recipe, PM me and I'll send it to you.**

 **And what's Candice's idea? Wait and see! And don't you just hate cliffhangers?**


	7. Chapter 7

Candice led James to a spot away from the others. She motioned for Dorrie to follow them, to see if she could come up with an idea as well.

"So what's your plan?" James asked.

"Ever since Sandra got her new wand, Dorrie and I have been teaching her some new spells," Candice replied. "One of those was for hypnosis, and it's strengthened with music."

"Miss Flora taught us something like that at Royal Prep," James recalled. "I think it was 'With this wand I access your power, hypno, unhypno, asleep you will fall', or something like that."

Candice nodded. "That's the one."

"And I know a great song to use with that spell," Dorrie added. "But let's get Sandra to sing with us. This could be good practice for her."

"Good idea. The more people assisting with the spell, the stronger it becomes," Candice smiled as she remembered the spell she had cast on James before all this started.

"No sudden moves from any of you! You're not going anywhere!" Wendell shouted, hearing only the last part of their conversation. He aimed his wand at Sofia, who quickly slipped the ring onto her finger and concentrated on getting help.

"You don't want to face them again," Merida spoke up, "How about I give you a real challenge?"

"Like what?" Wendell asked.

"This," Merida drew a deck of cards from the bag at her side. "You and I will play Haggis. This is a game that Lord MacGuffin taught my father during his last visit to Dunbroch Castle."

"Haggis? Isn't that some kind of food?" James asked.

"Yes, Prince James, but this Haggis is different," Merida replied. "Just watch us, and you'll see what I mean."

Before the game started, Merida told Wendell that they'd play to 250 points. They watched as she removed a Queen and a Jack from the deck, then Merida removed a complete suit, shuffled the remaining cards, and dealt herself and Wendell each 14 cards.

As the game went on, Merida, who had a strong lead, noticed that Wendell was trying to draw extra cards whenever it was his turn.

"One thing you should know, Wendell," Merida said sternly, "I don't take very well to cheaters!"

"Time to go," Wendell said quickly as Merida aimed an arrow at him. He played a few chords on his lute. "Phoenix, come to me!"

"That's enough of that! _Accio Wendell's lute_!" Dorrie shouted. The lute flew out of Wendell's hands, and into Dorrie's.

"Thanks, Dorrie. May I?" Sandra asked, taking her wand out again. When Dorrie nodded and put the lute on the ground, Sandra aimed her wand at it and shouted, _"Reducto!"_

"NO! My lute!" Wendell shouted as he saw his lute reduced to splinters. "I will not let you ruin my birthday again!"

"I've got news for you! Your birthday was ruined when you took Phoenix and put everyone through this!" Sofia countered.

"I'll never give her back! And you may have destroyed my lute, but I've still got this!" Wendell yelled. He aimed his wand at Phoenix. _"Imperio!"_ Phoenix stood still right where she was and didn't move. "And now for all of you!" Wendell continued. He aimed his wand at them, but Candice was quicker.

"And now I command, wand to my hand!" she yelled. When Wendell's wand had been confiscated, she shouted, "James, Dorrie, Sandra, now!"

"We're on it!" Sandra yelled. She watched as James took out his own lute again, and she started singing as Dorrie started slowly moving her wand in circles and chanting the spell James had remembered.

 _Island goodbye, island goodbye  
We been too long together, my island and I  
'Cross the blue sea, 'cross the blue sea  
We been too long together, my island and me_

James and Amber smiled as they heard this song and James accompanied her; this was a lullaby their birth mother used to sing to them. They even sang the chorus with her. Dorrie also recognized it as a lullaby she used to sing to the kids at the orphanage, but she kept chanting the spell as she sang along in her mind.

 _Cobwebs and dust, cobwebs and dust_  
 _I hate to leave you but leave you, I must_  
 _Float through the sky, float through the sky_  
 _We been too long together, my cobwebs and I_

"NO!" Wendell shouted, seeing that they were trying to hypnotize him.

Sandra nodded for James and Amber to join her as she continued the song, _Troubles goodbye, troubles goodbye  
We been too long together, my troubles and I  
'Cross the blue sea, 'cross the blue sea  
We been too long together, my troubles and me_

James and Amber smiled as they joined her, _Cobwebs and dust, cobwebs and dust  
I hate to leave you but leave you, I must  
Float through the sky, float through the sky  
We been too long together, my cobwebs and I_

James took a solo, _Unlock the gate, unlock the gate  
Lower the drawbridge, the hour is late  
Whom shall it be? Whom shall it be?  
We been too long together, my drawbridge and me_

They sang together, _Cobwebs and dust, cobwebs and dust  
I hate to leave you but leave you, I must  
Float through the sky, float through the sky  
We been too long together, my cobwebs and I_

Amber took the next solo, _Tear down the walls, tear down the walls  
Gather my treasure and scatter it all  
'Cross the blue sea, 'cross the blue sea  
We been too long together, my treasure and me_

Now they all finished the song together, _Run to her side, run to her side  
Run to my island and make her yer bride  
Whom shall it be? Whom shall it be?  
We been too long together, my island and me_

"That takes me back," James smiled as he remembered waking up from bad dreams only to hear his mother sing that song.

"I always loved that song," Amber agreed, recalling that whenever she was hurt, her mother would sing that to make her feel better as she was bandaged up.

"It was always one of the kids' favorites," Dorrie added, remembering how she always sang it to the kids in the orphanage if they were sad, scared, or hurt.

As they watched Wendell fall to the ground in a sound sleep, they heard a new voice. "That was a lovely song," The group turned, and saw two people. The woman wore a white robe and turban, and the man wore wizarding robes. "Wendell Herman Fidget II, and my wife Esme," the man introduced himself and his wife.

"I remember you three," Esme nodded toward Sofia, James, and Amber, "But not your friends."

When the introductions had been made, Wendell Fidget II revived his son. Wendell stirred, looked around, and gasped when he saw that his mother was awake.

"You have _a lot_ of explaining to do, young man!" Esme scolded.

"I found your mother sleeping when I came home," the older Wendell explained. "I figured she'd just fallen asleep after your birthday party, so I let her sleep. I also figured you'd gone out so she could have some peace and quiet. Then when she didn't wake up for tea, and you didn't show up, I performed some magical tests on her. The last spell she recalled was a sleeping spell that someone had cast on her! Fortunately, I knew the counterspell."

"Anyone could have cast that spell," the younger Wendell scoffed.

"True, but we gave you a wand that alerts us if you pull magical tricks on people," his father replied. He took his son's wand and murmured, _"Priori Incantatem!"_ Everyone watched as through a screen, Wendell cast the sleeping spell on his mother.

"Do you think anyone could have cast it now?" Esme asked.

"You never let me have what I want for my birthday! I never get to have any fun!" Wendell shouted.

"Need some help, sir?" Sandra asked. When the older Wendell nodded, Sandra aimed her wand at the younger wizard. _"Levicorpus!"_ When Wendell was dangling upside-down by his ankle, Sandra came up to him. "Now…about Phoenix…"

"I'll never give her back!" Wendell shouted, struggling to right himself in the air.

"If you won't, we will," Esme said sternly. She and her husband aimed their wands at Phoenix, who suddenly shook herself as she was freed from the spell.

"Wha…what happened? Where am I?" she asked, looking around in confusion.

"Phoenix, it's all right," Sandra said softly, ignoring Wendell's groan of pain as he fell to the ground when her eye contact was broken, "You're safe now."

"The last thing I remember is you and Zoe falling. I must have thrown you…Sandra, Zoe, I'm so sorry!" Phoenix cried.

"It wasn't your fault," Sandra assured her.

"We're not mad," Zoe agreed. "We love you, Phoenix."

Merida smiled. "I think this is as good a time as any to bow out. Your horse is in good hands now."

"Thank you for all your help, Merida," Sandra said as she looked up.

"You're very welcome. And I might teach you that Haggis game later on," Merida smiled as she disappeared.

As she watched the girls hug Phoenix, Esme smiled at the scene. "You have a beautiful horse," she commented. "And I apologize for my son's actions." She turned to Wendell. "You are grounded for the next two months. There will be no dessert for a week, no crystal ball gazing or tarot card reading for two weeks, you're cleaning out the cauldrons for a month—"

"About the no dessert, tarot cards, or crystal ball gazing, you'll have to sleep sometime!" Wendell muttered.

"Oh, don't worry; we'll be keeping your tarot deck and crystal ball under lock and key," his father spoke up. "And for the entire two months, the only animals you're conversing with will be the ones in our stable! And we'll be watching your every move!"

"Wait a minute. Are you saying that Wendell can talk to animals?" Sofia asked, now worried that her animal friends might be in trouble if Wendell ever came around again.

"The only animals he's ever in contact with are our farm animals," Esme explained. "The pin we gave him for his birthday allows him to only converse with sheep, cows, pigs, chickens, geese, and horses. Which reminds me," She tapped her wand on the pin, chanting a few words, and nodded when the pin glowed for a moment, then faded. "Now the only horses he'll be able to understand will be those without wings, and the animals I just mentioned. It also allows him to understand them when they sense that something is wrong with how he tended them."

Sofia nodded in relief, then turned to her friends. "Well, should we go back to the castle?"

"Nothing much we can do here," Candice observed as Wendell's parents levitated their sulking son onto a flying carpet and flew off.

"Yes, go ahead. It was nice meeting you," the older Wendell called after them.

"We'll meet you guys back your castle," Sandra agreed as she lifted Zoe onto Phoenix's back and swung herself up on the saddle behind her, then the two flew off.

"Shall we, guys?" Lucinda asked. She, Dorrie, and Candice stood with James, Sofia, and Amber, waved their wands over their heads, and disappeared in a puff of smoke, going back to the castle.

 **Author's Notes**

 **Thanks to Niagara14301 for helping with some of the details in this chapter.**

 **Wow, we finally get to meet Wendell's father! And I didn't know his mother's name, so I just made up the name Esme.**

 **Haggis is not only a type of food, but it's a card game. According to Wikipedia, players attempt to accumulate points; the first to reach a predetermined score (usually 250 or 350) is the winner. The scoring of Haggis gives incentives for capturing cards and for going out first. Successful players balance these two goals to strive for the most points. Additional points may be gained by successfully betting you'll be the first to shed your hand. For a more complete description of the game, check out the article on Wikipedia.**

 **Cobwebs and Dust by Gordon Lightfoot is not mine.**

 **Levicorpus, Priori Incantatem, Imperio, and Reducto are from Harry Potter. While it's true that using an Unforgivable Curse, such as Imperio, would land a person in Azkaban for using it on another person, Wendell's Imperius Curse was used on a horse, and would keep him out of the wizard prison.**

 **"And now I command wand to my hand" is from Descendants.**


	8. Chapter 8

_The next weekend…_

"More hay!"

"Why haven't you cleaned my stall yet?"

"You want to play with horses? Play with this!"

"These eggs won't collect themselves!"

"Feed me!"

Wendell groaned as he ducked again from the animals who were tormenting him and tossing hay in his face. It was only one week into his punishment, and he was exhausted. He wasn't just tired from working so hard, but he was tired of all the verbal abuse and taunts he was getting from the animals. He was sorely tempted to use a _Langlock_ spell on the animals so he could have a little peace and quiet, but he always had to hand his wand over to his mother as she supervised him around the farmyard. He often thought about using nonverbal spells as well, but his parents were both skilled in Occlumency and Legilimency, and would be able to read his mind and undo the spells.

"'More hay…my stall's still dirty…'" Wendell mimicked them. "I'm working as hard as I can! And I'd like to see _you_ clean the cauldrons and do all these chores with no magic!"

"Wendell, the work will go more quickly if you stop arguing with the animals and just give them what they want!" his mother said as she watched him.

"Yes, Mother," Wendell sighed.

Far away from Wendell's family farm, the Buttercups were getting their new badges following their make-up Friends Weekend. Dorrie and Amber had each received a sunflower pin, along with a badge for puzzle solving and maze navigation. Candice, Sofia, James, and Sandra had also received the same badges following their adventure with Wendell, but Zoe and Sandra only received the puzzle solving badge since they'd gotten lost in the maze, but Sandra did get a badge for protecting Zoe. ("Curse my lousy sense of direction! But I'll get that navigation badge someday!" she'd said.)

A few days later, James was doing some catch up work on some papers. He'd only been at it for a few minutes, and he put on one of his favorite songs

 _People are strange when you're a stranger  
Faces look ugly when you're alone _

Hearing the music, Candice smiled as she paused outside the door. She remembered that this was one of Maleficent's favorite songs. (She also laughed to herself as she remembered what James had said about that: "Who'd have guessed that Maleficent has good taste in music?")

 _Women seem wicked when you're unwanted  
Streets are uneven when you're down_

Roland, Tilly, and Miranda also came up when they heard the song. Roland recalled that this was one of his and Melinda's favorite songs. And every time James sang it as he worked on one of his poems or stories, they played a game with him. Roland motioned for Candice to follow him. At the same time, Candice motioned for Dorrie, Sofia, Lucinda, and Amber to follow them as they came up. He invited Tilly to follow them, but she just shook her head and watched outside the door with Miranda.

 _When you're strange  
Faces come out of the rain  
When you're strange  
No one remembers your name  
When you're strange  
When you're strange  
When you're strange_

As James was singing the chorus, he felt something lightly tapping on his spine to the beat, just like he was doing by tapping his fingers on the bed.

"Oh, Rollie," Miranda scolded good-naturedly as she heard James start laughing, but Roland blew her a kiss.

 _People are strange when you're a stranger  
Faces look ugly when you're alone  
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted  
Streets are uneven when you're down_

"I just started this!" James laughed as the tapping increased, and the girls started tapping their fingers on him. "And Dad, why is it every time I sing this song, you do this?"

The girls just smirked as Candice took up the tune.

 _When you're strange  
Faces come out of the rain  
When you're strange  
No one remembers your name  
When you're strange  
When you're strange  
When you're strange_

Now all the girls were singing over James' laughter. From where they were watching, Tilly and Miranda couldn't help but laugh themselves.

"I know nothing about this," Tilly smiled, declining Lucinda's invitation to join them.

"I just got here myself," Miranda joked back, shaking her head at Amber.

 _When you're strange  
Faces come out of the rain  
When you're strange  
No one remembers your name  
When you're strange  
When you're strange  
When you're strange _

"Hello!" Roland grinned down at him.

"May I help you?" James joked as he looked up.

"Mister Baileywick said it's just about time to go to Orillia. Sandra said we should be there when Zoe got her first flying horse!" Dorrie said as she and the girls let him up.

"And just so you know, Saffron, Minimus, and Echo are saddled up and waiting for us," Sofia added.

When they arrived at Orillia Castle, Sandra was there to greet them with a tray of Trail Mix Bars and scones (Dorrie had given her the scone recipe during her last visit to Enchancia Castle, and like James, she preferred using golden raisins), and a large pot of what she called hot vanilla.

"This is brilliant!" James commented as he swallowed his mugful of the drink, "But it's hot vanilla…what?"

"I know you're familiar with hot chocolate, so why can't there be hot vanilla?" Sandra asked.

"Good point, and by any chance, do you have…" Candice asked.

"I'll give you the recipe before you leave," Sandra finished her thought.

"That sounds whiz-bang!" Tilly spoke up, "And I'll give you some of my favorite recipes. And this summer, I'll take you and your sister with me when I pick Airabella apples."

"I've heard of those," Sandra nodded. "Our cook has some recipes that call for that type of apple, but she's never been able to find them."

"Sandra, come on!" Zoe, who was wearing her new riding outfit (consisting of a blue shirt, black pants and boots) broke in, "Daddy says the horse is ready!"

"You can't rush culinary greatness," Sandra scolded teasingly, "but let's go see your horse."

When everyone was at the stables, King Robert brought out a gray horse about the size of Minimus, with a white mane, tail, and wings. "Zoe, this horse is for you," he smiled as he and Queen Patricia, who had recovered from her cold, led her over. "I know you'll get along very well with her."

"Mommy, Daddy, thank you!" Zoe squealed. She wanted to run over, but Ezekiel, Michael, and Sandra had all taught her that horses spooked easily, and she needed to be careful in the stables. "I'm going to call her Cloud, since she has white on her."

"And I'm sure you two will get along splendidly," Robert smiled. "Would you like to take her for a little ride right now?"

"Can I?" Zoe gasped.

"As long as Sandra and her friends go with you," Patricia replied.

"Good thing we brought our horses," Amber smiled as she mounted Saffron.

When James had mounted Echo, Sofia was on Minimus, Lucinda was on her horse Thunderbolt, and Dorrie and Candice were on their brooms, Sandra helped Zoe onto Cloud, then she mounted Phoenix, who was standing beside her.

"Ready, everyone?" Sofia asked.

When everyone nodded, Dorrie and Candice kicked off on their brooms while those on horses flicked the reins and chorused "Hyah!"

As everyone flew off, they were excited for Zoe, for they knew she'd have some adventures of her own with her new horse. They were also happy that this adventure with Phoenix had ended well, and they were looking forward to having more together.

The End

 **Author's Notes**

 **Thanks to Niagara14301 for coming up with the names of Zoe's and Lucinda's horses.**

 **If anyone is interested in the scone or hot vanilla recipes, PM me and I'll send them to you.**

 **In my story Pet Stories, I'll see if I can come up with some backstories for our friends' horses. Ideas for those are welcome too.**

 **People are Strange by The Doors is not mine, and can be found in chapter 49 of Do You Want to Sing Together 6.**

 ** _Langlock_** **, Occlumency, and Legellimency are all from Harry Potter.**

 **Wow, I can't believe this story's finished already! But I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you had fun reading it as well.**


End file.
